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It’s that time of year – barbeques, swimming, bicycling and kids playing. With all this activity neighborhoods become very busy. “Keep Kids Alive – Drive 25” campaign will be promoted, between June 18 and 25 and will appear in 13 housing subdivisions to include yard signs with a variety of themed messages. Township resident Carol Winterhalter was instrumental in orchestrating the campaign. For more information on the program visit www.keepkidsalivedrive25.org.
Bob Gillenberger is a Community Manager/Owner of Rj Development Co. and one of sign sponsors for the Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 Program. As a Property Community Manager of multiple housing complexes, Gillenberger sees firsthand the dangers of speeding drivers and the accidents that can occur when individuals don’t pay attention to their surroundings.

Driving Tips
Slow down and eliminate distractions while driving. Accidents can occur with:
• Children often play in and around streets. They may suddenly run out in front of a car to chase a ball without looking.
• Roadway obstructions. Neighborhood streets can become crowded with all kinds of obstructions, such as parked cars, trash and recycling bins, and bags of leaves or discarded materials. Children, pets, and others may dart out between parked cars or from behind obstructions without warning.
• Blind corners. Sometimes it can be hard to see around corners because of blocking trees, bushes, mailboxes, light poles, fences, or other obstructions.
• Pedestrians crossing. Kids walking to or from school or people walking around the neighborhood with kids or pets may cross the street at the corner or in the middle of the street, sometimes without looking both ways.
• Bicycles, scooters, and motorcycles. These two-wheeled vehicles have as much of a right to use the road, as do automobiles.

Safety Tips

To avoid having an accident it is important for drivers to respect others’ use of the road in residential areas:
• Drive slowly. By driving at or under the reduced speed limit in neighborhoods you can prevent a severe accident.
• Exercise caution at intersections and turns. Look in all directions for potential hazards. If there are children nearby, know that there is a possibility that they will walk out in front of you without looking.
• Don’t tailgate slower vehicles. Be polite towards bicycles and scooters and keep a safe following distance until you can clearly pass them at a passing distance of greater than three feet.
• Give pedestrians the right of way. Look for people in the road or people who are looking to cross, and slow down or stop for them especially if there is a crosswalk.
• Use your lights. At night, always use your headlamps to illuminate the road. It helps pedestrians see you.

Have a safe and happy summer.

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group ~ bringing corporate level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long term basis. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies.

It’s Sunday night and that churn has begun in the pit of your stomach! You dread going to work the next day, dealing with the demanding boss and impossible clients.

A dream of becoming your own boss is trying to peak up from the bottom of your heart. You have the concept of what you would do – perhaps a passion is budding, but do you have the courage to be what it takes to become your own boss?
Where do you start? Do you know what your passion is or how to find it? A person isn’t born with a true passion. Finding your true passion involves exploration of interests that make you feel good about yourself, excited about what you do, and rewarded by giving of yourself to others.
Every successful entrepreneur is the person who’s been able to identify a problem and come up with a solution to it before somebody else did. As leaders, they have created a small niche with a core skill that has been developed.

Entrepreneurs continually seek out opportunities for personal and professional growth to increase their knowledge because they know that knowledge and expertise represents power. They network effectively; know when outside experts are needed and to how to use those experts efficiently.
Do you have the perseverance, determination and ability to set to clear goals? Does your desire to achieve and persistent problem-solving skills provide solutions for your fellow business associates? These are a few of the hats you will wear as a business owner. Add a dash of business management, marketing, accounting, and overall courage. For some would be entrepreneurs this is where owning your own business becomes overwhelming.

But to the true entrepreneurs, the independence of being your own boss, and the ability to see a project from inception through the end has enormous satisfaction.
If this is truly your dream, start with a solid business plan and foundation. Seek wise counsel and build your team of mentors, a marketing professional, an attorney, and an accountant. Be prepared for peaks and valleys and times when you ask yourself if it’s really worth it.

Reach for the Stars
Nobody can live your life for you – your destiny is in your hands. If you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur, find your passion. Don’t let fear of failure stop you from turning your passion into something productive that can enrich your life. Then go to the closet and find all the hats you’ll need to wear to succeed and take the plunge!

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group ~ bringing corporate level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long term basis. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies.

Wouldn’t it be great if there were some tried and true method to convert every prospect to a customer? Well it’s not quite that simple, but here are a few ideas that have worked for others and just might work for you.

Tips on Converting a Prospect to a Customer

1. Offer extra incentives, such as longer warranties or free bonuses if products or services are offered by a certain date.

2. Offer package or quantity deals. Set a deadline to encourage quick decisions thus creating a sense of urgency.

3. Offer financing options. Allow customers to pay in installments. This can work particularly well if they provide your credit card info and give you the approval to charge it monthly or quarterly until the invoice is paid in full. This helps overcome a price objection.

4. Offer a bonus if they pay in full. Rather than giving them a discount for full payment, give them additional products or services as a bonus.

5. Offer special packaging or delivery. Create bundled packages to group multiple services together. Can you schedule delivery to multiple client locations at no extra charge or for the month of May? Can you offer to celebrate a your business milestone for example… ten years in service by providing special anniversary packaging?

Once you have secured your customer, be sure to thank them for their business and reach out to them regularly to let them know how important they are to you. If you don’t find ways to make them feel special, your competition will!

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group ~ bringing corporate level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long term basis. The Edmiston Group consistently delivers and implements real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies.